Supernova
by princessorbit
Summary: Rachel Berry was a star. Like, literally, she was a star, a little ball of energy and fire hanging on the strings of the gods. She's sent tumbling through the atmosphere, landing in the backyard of one Quinn Fabray, confused and devastated. on hiatus.
1. supernova

author's note: This idea is pretty dumb, I think. Regardless, I wrote it. Try to enjoy, despite my awful grammar and mediocre writing skills! I have no beta, so please point out any mistakes you see and I'll edit.

disclaimer: I don't own Glee. Is this even necessary?

**important note: **This is NOT scientifically accurate, nor does it reflect my spiritual beliefs. Please no comments about how I've misused terms about stars or… constellations or… something. I KNOW. Really. I'm failing science.

_Supernova_

Rachel Berry was a star. Like, literally, she was a star, a little ball of energy and fire hanging on the strings of the gods. Her dads had taken their hydrogen, put it in a turkey baster and shoved it up the Orion Nebula. She'd burst out, supernova style, several million years later and here she was. Little Rachel Berry, the brightest star in the galaxy… well, the galaxy as she knew it. That was a very small section, right on the edge of visibility from Earth, where her dads perpetuated the idea that she was, in fact, the brightest star.

She'd been spoiled from birth. As soon as she'd been flung into her home, she was given only the best. Other stars couldn't even dream of the way she'd honed her shine, the way she could twinkle on command and melt the heart of anyone watching. Anyone who wasn't a star, that is. As she aged, other stars seemed to loathe her. It wasn't her fault that she had this uncontrollable urge to show off what she was born with, no matter what it took. She was constantly messing up constellations, trying to worm her way into one. The only formation she was part of was the lonely little triad of her family and she wanted to be a part of something big.

She thought the constellations should have been happy to have her, a drop of soup into the big dipper or a bird on top of Leo. They would dull and scream at her, telling her to keep to herself: they were fine as is. It didn't stop her, but a star could only take so much. After every long, long one thousand years of round trips, she'd come home to hopeful dads. There was never good news to report.

"Everyone hates me," She was nestled between the two of them; it was always comforting to do this, feel their warmth and notice how she shined just a tad brighter.

"That's not true, Rach," The star on her left, a larger, slightly reddish star, soothed, "They just see how perfect you are. They're jealous."

"Daddy, that doesn't help… I want to be me, a star… the _brightest _star, but…" She was hesitant. She tried to keep her worries away from her already fading fathers, "Sometimes I just want to fit in."

The other star attempted to stretch, wrap her in his fading warmth, "You do fit in, sweetie. You fit in here, with us."

She leaned on him. They must have been a sight to see down on Earth, like one huge star with varying brightness and color. Maybe they'd make the news… the thought was usually comforting, but it just made her sick now. That wouldn't gain her any favor with anyone. The desperate little star depending on her fathers to get attention… She could hear Ursa Major now, the insults starting from Alkaid all the way up to the head. It just made her want to turn her light off completely, spiral upwards into the heavens and ask for an early death.

Her voice was small, "…Papa, I just want a friend. I love you and Daddy, but…" She was no longer twinkling. The two older stars caught on and seemed to press closer, "I want a real friend. Someone to shine with me… maybe someone who I can sit next to forever."

There was no reply, just an exchanged understanding between her fathers. It made Rachel uncomfortable, the feeling that hung in the air. Like they already knew… like they'd _prepared _for this. She shifted; trying to squeeze away, go to her designated spot. They didn't allow her to move.

"Just stay here for tonight, baby," Her daddy began, reaching for his partner, "Don't you worry. We'll take care of everything."

* * *

><p>When Rachel awoke after an indiscernible amount of time, she was alone. After she'd shaken the initial sleep away, it hit her. Her dads were never gone, not at the same time and definitely not when she woke up. They were always there to kiss her good morning, encourage her, and shine her up. Her glimmer began to blink, panicked, desperate. Where were they? She couldn't leave to search; it'd take too long to cover the area. If they came back, she wouldn't be there.<p>

Was this what they meant by take care of it? Spend one last night with her in their arms and then run because they had no solution? Rachel knew she let her mind wander, create awful and dramatic scenarios… but this was reaching crisis level. She wasn't a steady radiation, just a mess of blinking light. Where would she stay? Nobody would let her in, not even if she delivered her sob story. They wouldn't believe her. They'd think it was a wild attempt to gain popularity. She was crying by now, light dull and still blinking. She couldn't survive like this…

"Baby! Rachel… calm down!"

Her attention whipped around, still in a panic, "Papa, where have you been? I was so scared…I thought you'd left me alone. I thought I'd lost all chance of friends and family…"

"Rach… starshine…" They were immediately as her side again, imitating their positions from last night, "We're sorry. We had to make a trip."

She hiccupped through her words, pulling them closer, "Where? Where did you go so early? What was so important… more important than me?"

"We had to travel up."

She knew what that meant. Up. As in up into the heavens, up to _speak _with someone. Barely whispering, she spoke up, "…Up? You… what did you have to travel up for? What's going on?"

Her fathers could barely take it: how small she sounded, like the day she'd tumbled into their life. She was still their baby underneath all her shine and confidence. Still their tiny little twinkle. Her papa sighed, his voice coming out weak, "We had to handle something… for you."

"…For me? Did you find me a constellation? Are they forming new ones so early?"

He started to continue, but his partner stopped him. He… _they _couldn't do this to their baby. They couldn't tell her the truth, what the real reason was. She'd lit up at the idea of being a part of a new constellation. It was her dream, after all. She wouldn't understand the truth. It'd hurt her to tell her now.

"Yes, actually!"

She was practically bouncing , "Oh my gods- sorry guys, I guess you're the ones doing this for me… but oh my gods! I'm… you guys, you've found me somewhere to belong. Just like you said."

That hurt the most of all, because they'd tried. They'd twirled up that morning to try to find a loophole, some way to start a new formation early. The answer was a resounding no, of course. The gods had trouble seeing how perfect their little girl was too. They'd begged, they'd _pleaded_, but there was absolutely no way to make her happy, it seemed. Defeated, they'd set out, only to be stopped before the exit by a low-ranking servant.

_"There's another way, you know." _

His information had no price. The consequences themselves were enough payment.

_"You can send her to Earth."_

It seemed like a dream come true. Once stars hit earth, they were no longer stars. That was common knowledge. It'd be a new start for her, one they could watch from the sky. The way to do it was always a mystery, though. Only the gods could orchestrate something like that.

_"I've heard them talk about it. Are you willing to do anything for your daughter?" _

Yes. Yes, of course they were. They would sacrifice everything they had for Rachel.

_"All you have to do is cause shock waves strong enough to send her spiraling down." _

And that's when it started to hurt. There was only one thing with that much force: a double supernova. One supernova would send her hovering around the moon, not a place you wanted to be. Two supernovas would crash her through the atmosphere and hopefully onto land. The discussion the two shared was short: there was no question that they'd do it. Anything for Rachel. They were on in their years anyway… it was bound to happen. Rachel needed to break away, be the brightest _wherever _she resided. The idea of exploding into oblivion didn't hurt, but never seeing Rachel again did. Not being able to see her story unfold. A dead star was nothing more than fumes and dull shine.

But at least she'd have a story. Something they knew she could never achieve up here.

"You guys have to PROMISE that you'll come visit my new friends and I," Her voice pulled them back into reality, "I can't wait till everyone discovers us. I hope we're something really discernible… and cute!"

They were forcing their illumination, "Of course, Rachel. You're going to be the headlining star, though."

"Oh, I know. I won't talk down to them, though. An important part of a constellation is that everyone feels equal- even if they're not. You taught me that!"

"Absolutely right, baby. You'll… you'll have to go up tomorrow. It's going to be a big day."

"Oh, papa, I'm so excited!"

She was cushioned close in between them once more, despite being a ball of excitement, "We know. Be our baby for one more night, though, okay?"

The twinkle in between them was brighter than ever, "…Daddy… Papa… I'll always be your baby. I love you both with every fiber in my being."

Wavering light was held back, voices contained. Only an attempt to somehow morph into one star, be together forever, was given. Rachel giggled and her fathers laughed with her. They had to enjoy their last moments together, because as soon as she was asleep… They'd be gone and she'd be alive elsewhere, starting her own story. Her own chapters on earth, hopefully shining just as bright.


	2. star girl

AN: You guys! Ahhh, you're all way too nice to me. I was blushing all night. And I saw a comment about Stardust? I've never read it! I was just watching a special on stars and I was like RACHEL IS A STAR…oh. And… such is my inspiration process. I think I saw the movie version of Stardust a long time ago, but I just remember Robert De Niro in drag. If you see anything that is like a… blatant rip-off of it, please tell me. I'm not into stealing… other than stealing Ryan Murphy's characters and making them do shit, but really! This is getting long and basically just THANK YOU.

_Supernova_

She thought it'd been a horrible, horrible dream; the dizzying rush of lights sweeping past her line of vision, the loss of most of her senses, the ache beginning in her core and reaching all the way to her outermost glow. Usually these dreams ended before anything major occurred. She'd wake up and drift over to one of her fathers, snuggling into his side and everything would be okay.

That was the thing though. _This wasn't ending_. A whirr of half-familiar noises hit her: the screams of meteors, the creak of a moon, and the tinkle of stars running into each other. It began to blur together into a painful wreck, like the death of a star, a supernova. Was that what was going on? Was she dying? She didn't think death had this burst of fresh within it. It was almost pleasant, though still too fast to gather any bearings. Everything was blue, a color she wasn't very familiar with. Her life was velvet black, decorated with reds, whites and yellows. Blues were far away and never _ever _this intense. The new color came along with a new sensation: something hitting her, but not in a disagreeable way. It was, as mentioned, refreshing. A healthy balance between the two drastic extremes she knew: burning hot or ice cold.

The ache was tearing her back into reality, or whatever this was. It was aggravated, becoming increasingly sharp in every grain of her being. Her core felt as if it was curling within itself, changing itself into something different completely. It was collapsing into itself and she wanted to scream. Any sound she made was swallowed by the freshness against her body, which was now combined with another sort of sensation: moisture. This was totally alien to her, but it chilled her to the deteriorating core.

Just when she thought she couldn't take one more second of this excruciating pain, everything went numb. Totally numb. She could no longer feel the rush, no longer hear the high-pitched whistle piercing her senses and her core was … seemingly non-existent. Whatever had replaced it was pumping weakly; rushing to her… she couldn't figure out what she even _was _anymore. She didn't have time. Everything was back to black, no longer velvety, but pitch. Her mind shut off, her new being went limp… the only remnant of her previous form was a hammock of radiance underneath her, preparing her for the massive impact she was about to make.

* * *

><p>Not everyone was lucky enough to receive such preparation. Quinn Fabray certainly wasn't prepared for a totally nude chick to fall into her backyard. No, that was probably the thing furthest from her mind. She'd been tracing her fingers over the dusty keys of the unused baby grand in their sizeable front room, trying to gather the courage to play as she used to, out when the house shook. A shriek sounded from the kitchen and Quinn could hear the shattering of a glass, no doubt one with a slim neck and liquid fire. After composing herself, she delicately lifted off of the bench, legs shakier than she expected. Earthquakes were rare in Ohio, if that had even been one.<p>

"Mom, are you okay?" She called out, pleasantly surprised at the strength in her voice.

"Y-yes, Quinnie, I'm fine…"

Quinn appeared at the doorway of the kitchen, observing the mess. Glass and reddish liquid covered the floor around her terrified mother's feet. She sighed. Sometimes _she _felt like the mother in this house, "Stay put, mom. I'll clean it up, but I don't want you to step on any glass."

"You're an angel."

So she was told. She tiptoed around the mess to make her way to the laundry room and retrieve the Swifter. Her eyes glanced to the French doors leading to the back patio, trying to calculate the damage. Nothing too major, the chairs had fallen over and- wait, what? She froze in her tracks, eyes seemingly doubling in size. A quick blink, shake of her head… No, her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. There was a _crater _in her back yard. A huge-ass crater. All thoughts of her mother were left in that spot as she threw the doors open, sprinting to view whatever the hell had crashed onto her property. Her mother's voice called after her, something about how she had in fact cut her foot and where was she going, but the girl couldn't be bothered right now.

Almost tripping over her own feet, Quinn descended the patio steps onto the mostly destroyed lawn. She flinched at the dirt and rock digging into her skin, but all discomfort was forgotten when her eyes fell on the crater… and what was inside of it.

Curled up directly in the middle, naked as the day she was born, was a girl. Not just a girl, a… Quinn couldn't describe it. She _glowed_. Not literally, but her skin was radiant. Gorgeous. It outshone the debris streaking across her, outshone the whole world as far as Quinn was concerned. Her face was hidden by thick, dark hair and the blonde was sliding down into the hole to view it; to view the girl, the heavenly being curled into herself and barely moving.

Barely moving. Right. Quinn was kneeling next to her now, unsure of what to do. The reality of the situation hit her: There was a girl in a crater in her back yard. She wasn't sure how the weight of this girl had created a crater this big, but she wasn't really sure of anything at this point. Even if that could be explained away, there was no way in hell that she was still alive. Tentatively, she reached a pale hand to touch the darker shoulder… Oh. She was warm. Not fading warmth, a definite, pulsating and radiating heat. Fingers travelled up past the shoulder, pushing her hair out of the way. She had intended on checking her pulse, but _wow_. The reveal of the girl's face was distracting. She was as beautiful as the rest of her; long lashes rested against high cheekbones, full lips slightly parted and definitely inhaling and exhaling. If that wasn't sign enough, the girl's eyes fluttered open, revealing deep brown doe eyes.

"…Where am I?"

Quinn had thought this girl… this _angel, _couldn't get more perfect, but her voice. It was celestial, a light tinkle that she was sure she could listen to all day. Her own breathing was shaky, reflecting in her voice as she replied, "…Y-you're…" What did she say? "…You're in my back yard."

A confused look crossed those perfect features, "Your… back yard?" The words seemed to be foreign on her tongue, "You… your body, you're…"

The other girl was afraid she was about to get an insult. You're ugly, you're not proportionate, you haven't lost any of your baby weight…

"You're human."

That was unexpected. Quinn never really believed in actual angels, not as physical beings, but… was this girl actually…? "I…"

Before she was able to finish, the brunette's eyes were getting even bigger, her frame beginning to shake. She sat straight up, holding her hands in front of her. Then her eyes travelled over her whole form, covered in dirt, "I… I'M human…" She was panicked, finding Quinn's eyes, "Why am I… Is this real? I need to leave, this isn't where I belong… this isn't me! I'm not me!"

It took all Quinn had not to reach out and rub soothingly over her shoulders, "Calm down, i-it's okay. We'll figure this out… W-we should get you inside, clean you up…"

"No! You don't understand! I'm not supposed to look like this! I'm not supposed to have any of these," She wiggled her fingers, "Or these," She lifted her legs, "Or this…!" Her hands were against her face, streaking more dirt from her hands over it.

Great. She was a psycho angel, "You're just…confused from your… fall…"

"No, look, I'm a STAR!" She was practically screaming now. Maybe her voice wasn't as pleasant as Quinn originally thought, "Watch, I'll shine. I'm the brightest in the universe." She clenched her fists, her face twisting up. Nothing happened. She just sat there, naked and dirty, looking crazy. When that realization washed over her, her eyes were open again, wet with desperation, "…You have to believe me. You have to help…. I am one. A star."

No matter insane the girl was, her expression couldn't be denied. She was obviously broken, truly believed herself. Quinn didn't know what to make of this, the whole crater thing… but her first priority was to get the… 'star' inside and taken care of. She sighed, "…I believe you. Please, come with me, though… I have to get you inside to help you."

She was circling her arm around the girl, pulling her from the ground. Her bare legs were quivering, as if she'd just learned to walk, making her basically dead weight. She was full on crying now, making a mess of her already dirty face, "Thank you, oh, thank you. I'm to be in a constellation. My fathers will be looking for me… I just have to return quickly…"

Quinn tuned her out, focusing on dragging her into the house. The stairs proved to be a challenge, but they were eventually in the open door.

"Quinn, where in the world did you go? I cut my foot and I had to clean this all by myse-" Her mother turned around and gaped, "Who… what is…?"

"Look, I don't know what's going on, but there's a huge crater in our yard and she," Her head tilted slightly towards the still sniffling girl, "was inside of it."

No words, just a limping rush to view the state of the yard. A gasp followed. There was no denying the crater, just… what? What would anyone make of this?

"Mom, I know. This is crazy, but I think we need to focus on getting her cleaned up and safe."

"O-of course, yeah…"

"Shut the door. She's nude, if you didn't realize, and I don't think it's going to help anyone if we give the neighbors a free show."

As her mother obeyed, a small voice sounded. There was that tinkle again, the pleasant side of the girl's voice, "…Rachel."

"…What?"

"My name. It's Rachel. Rachel Berry."

Quinn hadn't been aware that stars had surnames, but… She didn't dwell on it. She couldn't dwell on any of it. A weak smile was offered, "...Quinn Fabray. Let's get you up in the bath, Rachel, and you can tell me everything."


	3. star beings

AN: Hey guys! Here it is, the long awaited third chapter. This chapter is mostly Rachel familiarizing herself with things and Quinn's slow realization of what's going on. I promise they'll leave the house one day. Also, I have a request. I've always loved Faberry, but I've never been very involved in the fandom. Do you guys have any fic recommendations? I feel like I should be aware of trends or whatever. GAH this chapter is so cheesy ily guys forgive me.

Bonus points for anyone who recognizes Rachel's favorite snack. :)

_Supernova_

Quinn delicately perched on the edge of her bed, watching the now-clothed sleeping form curled up under the comforter. Her dark hair was still damp, sticking against her cheeks, pink from the heat of the shower. A trace of a smile showed on Quinn's face; showering had been quite the adventure with Rachel's complete lack of knowledge on… anything. After you got past the crazy, it was all sort of endearing- especially now, with the girl burrowed under the sheets in borrowed sleep shorts and an old Cheerios shirt. It was almost easy to forget that she was completely batty.

Almost.

Putting her to bed was the only way to get Rachel to shut up about being a star. She looked as if she was completely fine physically, but mentally… she was out there. She seemed to have unlimited knowledge on astronomy, but none on the earth. Quinn suspected the crash caused some sort of selective memory loss. That was it, though- the crash. How could a girl so small cause a crater so huge? There hadn't been a single other object in the yard. She wasn't saying that Rachel was necessarily sane, but it did raise some questions. A soft noise from said girl brought Quinn back to reality. She reached out, gently brushing a few strands of half-dry hair away from Rachel's closed lids. She wasn't going to get answers from her; she was pretty sure they were equally confused.

The blonde picked herself up, careful not to disturb the sleeping girl, only to settle back down at her desk. There had be _some _sort of explanation for all of this and if she was going to find it anywhere, it was going to be on the Internet.

Her first search wasn't particularly fruitful. All of the results for "spontaneous craters" had been about obscure video games. "My friend thinks she's a star" was just as successful, even after the addition of "literally". Her fingers hovered over the now blank search bar, unsure of what to type next. She knew what she _wanted _all of this to be. She wanted it to be some grandiose delusion, something she could explain away; it wasn't, though, and she knew that. It was something bizarre. Yet another thing in her life she was being forced to deal with, even though she definitely didn't want anything to do with it. Worrying her bottom lip under her teeth, she began to type again.

"Star people".

She felt foolish just typing it in. The results were bound to be strange cults or beliefs. The search loaded; the whole first page seemed to be just that... and the second. Deciding to give it one more go, she clicked the last listed page number a few times, bringing her to page 46. More religion, artwork and fiction... wait. Middle of the page, there was a website simply titled "Star Beings", with no description. It was worth a try.

The page was simple; white background, black text. It appeared to be a blog of some sorts, with very simplistic chat system on the side. The most recent post was over a year ago.

**February 9th, 2010  
><strong>_I forget what home looks like. You can't see the stars in the city._

_**February 4th, 2010  
><strong>__I am a star, I am a star, I am a star. Why are those words becoming harder and harder to believe?_

_**January 20th, 2010  
><strong>__There is nothing in this book about how to get home. There's no earth equivalent of a double supernova. Even if they did put me back in the sky, I'd die. Apparently humans can't breathe in space. Isn't that the strangest thing you've ever heard?_

The rest of the posts were similar, the author detailing their discoveries in this book, the title of which had yet to be given in Quinn's search. Her eyes instead wandered over to the chat area. The last few messages all read along the lines of "Staranon, where are you?" or "did you get home?". Did these people actually believe all of this? She had to admit, it was strangely similar to what Rachel had been telling her...

She assigned herself the name of "Q" in the chat-box, typing four simple words. "Is anyone still here?"

Just as she was about to continue reading the posts (and hopefully discover the title of this mysterious book), a quiet voice sounded from behind her.

"Quinn?"

The blonde jumped a little, closing her laptop to just a crack, spinning around in her chair to view the girl in her bed. She was sitting up now, rubbing sleepily at her eyes. Quinn couldn't help but find it adorable. She relaxed, giving Rachel a gentle smile. It was strange to watch her now, with all she'd read. Was Rachel really some sort of lost star? She pushed that aside for now, making her way to the bed once more. She sat beside the brunette, tucking one leg under herself, "Did you sleep alright?"

"I think so. I didn't dream, though. Do humans dream?" Rachel tilted her head to the side, with a look that Quinn could only describe as puppy-dog.

"We dream... _Stars _dream?" She raised her eyebrows, still smiling, "What do stars even dream about?"

"Of course we dream!" The star almost looked insulted at the question, her lips pursing in a way that drew a laugh from the girl beside her. Rachel huffed, "We dream about normal things, of course. Most of mine were about joining a constellation."

"...Normal things. Of course."

Just as Rachel was about object to Quinn's teasing tone, a noise sounded. It was unidentifiable, mostly because Rachel drowned it out with her yelp. Quinn's hands jumped to the girl's arms, concern immediately flooding onto her face, "Rachel, what's wrong? What happened?"

The star placed both of her hands over her stomach, with a look of absolute terror, "My middle just _vibrated_."

"Your... what?"

The noise repeated itself and Quinn was able to identify it this time around: Rachel's stomach was growling. The star whimpered, clutching tighter at her midsection, "There it is again! Why are you laughing? This is SERIOUS."

"Rachel," Quinn began, another giggle escaping. She let her hands run soothingly over the girl's arms, "Calm down. It means you're hungry."

"I'm WHAT!? That sounds absolutely HORRIFIC! Would you stop laughing already!?"

"I'm sorry, just... It's not anything bad. Now that you're... human, you need to eat." The blonde let her laughing fade to a (hopefully) reassuring smile. All she received was a blank stare. She sighed, hand drifting down to hold Rachel's as she climbed off of the bed, tugging her gently along, "Maybe it's better I just show you."

* * *

><p>"Quinn, eating is decidedly the best thing since meteor highways."<p>

"I think I just opened Pandora's box."

They sat at the Faberry kitchen table with the oddest spread of food that Quinn had ever seen. Rachel was shoveling strawberry yogurt into her mouth, but the selection in front of her ranged from bologna to asparagus. So far, the star had rejected most of the lunch meat in favor of fruitier things, usually combined with the strangest dips. Quinn had recommended celery and peanut butter, but Rachel had insisted that _oranges _and peanut butter made a far superior combination. She was returning to that, dropping her spoon and reaching for the box of Triscuits to spread the peanut butter on for some strange sort of orange-peanut-butter-sandwich.

Quinn leaned forward, propping up her head with her hand as she watched the girl eat. If this girl was a star, she didn't think she could ever look at the night sky the same way again. Did all stars like ranch dressing on rice cakes? Were they all adorably fussy? It was crazy that she was even considering it, but there didn't seem to be any explanation...

"What do you know about supernovas?"

Rachel looked up from her snack, peanut butter stuck to the roof of her mouth, "Whaahh?"

"Take a drink," Quinn advised, with a laugh. After Rachel had done so, she was sending a curious look over. Quinn bit her lip momentarily before repeating herself, "...What is a supernova?"

The dark haired girl seemed to dim, somehow. She licked peanut butter off her thumb idly, considering her words. "...It's when a star dies. It doesn't happen very often- we stars have very long life spans. I've never seen one. You're not supposed to be around a dying star. The force is tremendous."

"So then a double supernova...?"

Rachel's eyebrows shot up, then furrowed. "A _double _supernova? That would be..." She shook her head, "Impossible. Like I said, supernovas are rare. Two happening at once, especially close each other... that couldn't happen unless you did it on purpose. Why do you ask?"

Quinn shook her head, "No reason. Just curious."

The star seemed to accept that, going back to her snack, leaving Quinn to her thoughts. So according to that blog, a double supernova had been involved in stranding them on Earth- the force of it, apparently, had somehow launched them there. When did they become human, though? Were stars all humans to begin with? And who had wanted Rachel gone so desperately that they were willing to kill themselves for it?

A buzzing interrupted her thoughts.

"That's not my hungry!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Your hunger," Quinn corrected automatically, as she pushed herself from her chair, "And no, that's my phone."

She ignored Rachel's immediate questions about phones, retrieving said object from the counter. Ten unread texts. She hadn't checked it since the incident this morning. Really, she hadn't even _thought _about the outside world since the incident this morning. A quick slide of her finger unlocked her screen, her eyes skimming over the missed alerts. Two lewd messages from Puck (erased), three homework questions from Finn (she'd save those for later), one odd text from Brittany (it read like a fortune cookie message, making her sound strangely wise) and four from Santana.

**From: Santana (10:34AM)  
><strong>britt wants to feed the ducks this afternoon, so i figured we could make fun of patches til she's done then get something to eat

**From: Santana (11:01AM)  
><strong>are you coming? ridiculing the homeless isn't the same without you

**From: Santana (11:27AM)  
><strong>we're gonna leave around 1. txt me if you want us to pick you up.

**From: Santana (2:34PM)  
><strong>seriously Q, we hang out every saturday. you should be used to this. i know you're technologically challenged and all but 4 hrs with no reply? what gives?

Quinn glanced at the clock- it read 3:07. She tapped out a quick reply.

**To: Santana (3:07PM)  
><strong>Sorry, having a little bit of a family crisis. I'll catch up with you guys on Monday. Also- feeding ducks? Have we sunk that low? Come up with something a little less lame next time.

The reply was instant.

**From: Santana (3:07PM)  
><strong>fuck you. those ducks were bitchin'. see you monday

She laughed at that, setting her phone aside again. Rachel was still staring at her curiously. "What is that?"

"My phone," The blonde explained, joining her at the table once more. Rachel didn't look satisfied. "It's really easy to forget that you don't know _anything_."

"Excuse me?"

Quinn ignored her, continuing, "It lets you talk to people who aren't around."

Rachel was pushing another orange past her lips, sans the peanut butter this time. She nodded, brow still furrowed, before speaking around the fruit, "...I don't understand humans."

That received a smile, "Funny, I don't understand stars."

"We're very easy to understand. A lot easier than you, with your strange needs and devices," Rachel replied, not catching on to the other girl's joking tone.

"You're not exactly a star anymore." Quinn had hoped to approach the subject carefully, try to find answers on how exactly this happened- if it even DID happen. That obviously didn't go over well, because now she had a huffy looking Rachel in front of her.

"_Of course _I'm a star. I'm just stuck like this temporarily."

"If you don't know how you changed, how do you plan on changing back?"

The 'star' stared, blank at first, but slowly becoming more cross, "I'm sure I can figure it out. Someone will fetch me, I'm assuming."

"And if no one does...?"

"They will. I have a constellation to join, remember?"

"I remember, but..." Quinn couldn't help but push her, just a little more. There had to be something she knew and she certainly wasn't going to share it if she was so convinced it didn't matter, "I'm sure there are plenty of stars available to take your place."

It didn't have the desired effect. Rachel was literally huffing now, pushing herself back from the table. "There is no being as bright, as _talented _as me. They can't just replace me. You know, this situation would be a lot easier if you would just trust me!" The girl was standing up, still a little wobbly, but determined to storm out.

Quinn sighed. Rachel may have been cute, but she was one hell of a diva, "Where are you going, Rachel?"

"I'm going to sit in my crater! Don't bother me!"

The blonde couldn't stifle her giggle at that, which in turn upset Rachel even more. She could hear the sliding door slam shut. When she got up to observe the backyard through it, she could see the brunette stumbling her way across the yard, slowly but surely making her way to the crater. Another sigh escaped past Quinn's lips as she opened the door once more, moving to settle herself on the top porch step. "You're going to have to come out eventually, you know," She called to the girl who was currently sliding down into the hole.

"Leave me alone!"

Pause.

"These rocks are digging into my feet!"

"Are you coming out, then?"

Another pause.

"...No!"

Thankfully for Quinn, it only took about an hour for Rachel to climb out, legs and feet dirty again. The girl was less than enthused when she learned that she'd have to take another shower before sleeping in any of the beds again.

* * *

><p>The day progressed without any other incidents, though Rachel seemed to be set on speaking to Quinn as little as possible. She only gave curt little "thank you"s when Quinn would fetch something for her. Quinn assumed she'd get over it by tomorrow- she wasn't exactly the quiet type.<p>

Despite the star's nap in Quinn's bed, she'd been given the guest room to sleep in for the night. She was currently seated in the middle of it, eyes purposely adverted away from her hostess as she fluffed the pillows.

"Alright. If you need anything, just come and get me." Quinn offered, stepping away to look at Rachel. No reply. "...Okay?"

"Fine. Thank you."

"Do you want the lights on?"

"No. Thank you."

"Goodnight, Rachel. Sweet dreams."

"Hmph."

Quinn rolled her eyes after she'd turned, flipping the switch off on her way out. She left the door open just a crack, letting the dim light from the wall plug-in to stream in. When she'd arrived in her own room and fell back on her bed, her exhaustion finally allowed itself to wash over her. She hadn't realized how drained she was... taking care of Rachel was like taking care of a toddler in some ways. In a lot of ways. Half of her hoped that this was just some long, elaborate dream and the girl would be gone tomorrow. The other half, the one that was currently winning, was still clinging to curiosity. Was it even worth it if she never got answers? Her brain was too tuckered out to even process that question. She rolled off the bed, managing enough energy to strip down to her underthings and shut the light out, before returning to her bed.

Just as she crawled under the covers, a blinking green light caught her eye. Looking over in its direction, nothing seemed to be there... wait. There it was again. A few moments passed before she was able to identify it: her laptop. She'd left it on, opened a little, and the reason why was coming back to her. Had someone replied to her question? Was the name of the book in the rest of the posts? Though her body objected, she was lifting herself up. Just a peek wouldn't hurt and-

"...Quinn?"

Now propped up on her elbows, her eyes followed the noise to the door, where she could make out Rachel's shadow. Concern immediately flooded her stomach, but was overtaken by her defenses, "I thought you weren't talking to me."

Rachel didn't reply to that, just stepped a little closer. "...I can't sleep in there. I feel so _alone_."

"Maybe you should have thought about that befo-"

"...Quinn..."

She stopped herself at that. Rachel's voice seemed so small, especially compared to her earlier terse tones. It hit Quinn- as strong as the facade that the girl put up, she was just scared. Thrust into a situation that she couldn't comprehend, something completely alienating and unfamiliar... Quinn knew that feeling all too well. Another of her many sighs today sounded and she fell on her back once more, "Come here."

Eagerly, Rachel scurried over to the bed, crawling on from the end of it and quickly burying herself under the covers next to Quinn. She was close enough for Quinn to feel her breathing against her shoulder.

"...You don't have to lie so close."

The star's voice sounded again, just as small as before, but now with an obviously theatrical shake added, "...But my dads used to hold me every night..."

Low blow. Resisting her was harder than she would have imagined. About two minutes in, she had herself an armful of Rachel Berry, breathing already steady and slow. What scared her the most was how totally _right _it felt, but she was able to push that thought away, too tired to even bother. Sleep took her easily.

Unbeknownst to the now sleeping pair, a new message appeared in the Star Beings chat. It read one word.

"_Yes._"


End file.
